"To me, International Women's Day means having the opportunity to celebrate women of all ages, nationalities, cultures, or ethnicities - whether they be past, present or future."
Empowering older women in her community is what Amy McLean strives to do every day in her role as Assistant Lifestyle Coordinator for Carinity Home Care Hervey Bay.
"My motivation comes from realising the generation gaps are becoming more apparent and wanting to assist with closing, or slightly closing, the differences between generations," Amy said.
"This will assist the older person to not feel they are being left behind or forgotten and simply unheard."
Through her work, Amy is advocating for seniors and "leading the way with honesty and transparency".
"No matter if I am attending an information session, signing up a home care package client, or advocating for current clients on how their home care packages can support their independence while aging, honesty and transparency are always my focus," she said.
"I am not afraid to ask questions and assist the older generation with understanding the confusing world of aged care, and validating the questions and responses they provide.
"I enjoy the challenge of advocating for their rights and achieving the best outcome for the client."
Amy's advocacy also includes liaising with contractors and support services on behalf of clients and assisting them to understand important information regarding medical and occupational therapy trials.
She has sourced hard copies of The Little Black Book of Scams from the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) "in hopes it may save an older person from becoming another scam statistic".
Amy's support of seniors ranges from the practical - such as updating care plans to better benefit clients and staff who assist with their support - to the inspirational, such as including clients' poetic work in local newsletters for others to enjoy.
She also empowers vision-impaired Fraser Coast seniors, scheduling appointments with Vision Australia to assist with greater understanding of equipment used for visual assistance.
"Other initiative ideas and projects I have introduced include larger business cards, simplified for clients with vision impairments to be able to see more appropriately," Amy said.
"I would also like to see the introduction of braille on these cards to assist even further into the future."
